Police investigating two separate shootings in Chinatown overnight

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia police are investigating two separate shootings in the city's Chinatown neighborhood Saturday morning.

The first shooting happened just before 1 a.m. at the Day N Nite Hookah Bar on the 900 block of Cherry Street.

Police say a 28-year-old man got into an altercation with the security guard, which prompted the guard to fire his gun inside a hookah bar.

"This aggressor attacks the security guard inside the hookah lounge, sucker punches him, (and) continues to assault him. And at some point, (he) grabs a hookah and goes to attack the security officer with the hookah," said Philadelphia Police Captain Anthony Ginaldi.

Police said the security guard, who was licensed to carry, pulled out his weapon and fired. The 28-year-old man was shot once in the left thigh. A 23-year-old woman was accidentally hit -- shot once in each thigh. Both are in stable condition.

"I still feel safe around here, but it's a little scary about the incident," said Dorothy Lum, a Chinatown native.

Lum grew up in Chinatown and said it's always been a warm and inviting place to hang out at all hours.

"I remember we stay out until 2 o'clock in the morning, nobody bothered us," said Lum. "It's so sad to hear incidents like that."

Authorities believe the 28-year-old man had a history with the security guard.

Another shooting occurred hours later around 5:30 a.m.

Police said two men were walking down the street near 10th and Race streets and got into an argument with a group of six other people.

One person in the large group allegedly pulled a gun and shot a 52-year-old man twice in the abdomen, according to police.

The victim was taken to the hospital in critical condition but is now stable.

"It looks like the motive for this incident was most likely some type of fight," said Ginaldi.

Data from the Philadelphia Controller's Office shows just how rare gun violence is in the Chinatown area. There was only one shooting reported in the neighborhood in all of 2021.

The only other shooting reported in Chinatown this year occurred in July on the 1000 block of Cherry Street. A man was shot and killed inside a building and police quickly made an arrest in that case.

Police have not made any arrests in the Saturday shootings.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 215-686-TIPS.